There is still a little summer left and a few weeks before the start of a new school year, but at a playground in the Bronx, a school backpack giveaway is a reminder that kids will soon return to the classroom.

This is why City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashin Vasan and CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen are urging parents to put childhood vaccinations on their back-to-school checklist.

Dr. Cohen says that means all vaccines – including for mumps, measles, polio, and chicken pox, which are required by state law.

The city is also dealing with the influx of asylum seekers. Of the over 100,000 migrants who have arrived in New York City, 18,000 are children who will be entering the largest school system in the country.

“We’re screening everyone,” said Dr. Vasan.

COVID is still a concern – the number of cases are ticking upward and are expected to continue to rise during the fall and winter.

An updated COVID booster is expected in the second or third week of September. The CDC director says it will likely be recommended for all.